Sunday
Oct112009
The Latest from Iran (11 October): The Mousavi-Karroubi Meeting
Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 11:52
NEW Iran: English Text of Mousavi-Karroubi Meeting (10 October)
NEW Iran: The Washington-Tehran Deal on Enriched Uranium?
NEW Iran: So Who Controls the Islamic Republic?
The Latest from Iran (10 October): Karroubi is Back
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1900 GMT: Former President Khatami has followed up his speech in Yazd Province (1445 GMT) with a strong challenge to the regime on his website: “Be sure that people will never back down. Today, we are living in a world in which no dictator could be imposed on people to force them to be absolute obedient to him. An acceptable government is a government born out of people.” An English summary is in the Los Angeles Times.)
1845 GMT: We've posted the full English-language summary of the Mousavi-Karroubi meeting in a separate entry.
1630 GMT: EA's Mr Smith checks in with a snap analysis of the Mousavi-Karroubi meeting (1430 GMT):
1445 GMT: Former President Mohammad Khatami has spoken with an audience in Yazd Province. Criticising violent and brutal acts against reformists and protestors, he warned the Government that, if they do not let critics express their opinions, then the movement will move toward radicalism. (English summary on Facebook page connected with Zahra Rahnavard)
1430 GMT: Green Talks. Tagheer, the website connected with Mehdi Karroubi, has a lengthy article on a meeting between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi yesterday.
1420 GMT: An Iranian activist is reporting a fourth post-election detainee has been sentenced to death. Hamed Rouhinejad, like Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Pour-Rahmani, is accused of belonging to a monarchist organisation carrying out crimes against the state.
1050 GMT: Fereshteh Ghazi is reporting the sentences handed out to 16 post-election protesters (according to state media, 18 were convicted in September and are now appealing the verdicts): "Alireza Eshraghi 5 years, Mohsen Jafari 4 years, Mehrdad Varshoie 3 years, Yaghoutil Shanoulian 2 years 6 months, Faramarz Abdollah Nezhad 2 years 4 months, Amir Hojjati 2 years 3 months, Mousa Shah Karami 2 years 3 months, Kamran Jahanbani 2 years, Hossein Bastani 2 years, Hossein Ezami 2 years, Mehdi Fatah Bakhsh 1 year 9 months, Majid Moghimi 1 year, Mohammad Farahani 10 months, Mohammad Rasouli 10 months, Meysam Ghorbani 6 months and 74 lashes, Reza Imanpour 6 months".
1030 GMT: Really? Someone needs to show Secretary of State Hillary Clinton our analysis of the story from The Washington Post. As the Obama Administration pursues a private deal with Tehran over uranium enrichment, she is blowing the public smoke of threat, telling reporters in London, the world "will not wait indefinitely" for Iran to meet international obligations.
1025 GMT: We've posted two important items this morning. Jerry Guo of Foreign Affairs, echoing analyses that our readers have discussed for weeks, considers the "control" of the Iranian Government by "the Revolutionary Guard and its allies". Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post, fed the information by Obama Administration officials, reveals the developing US-Iran deal for enrichment of Tehran's uranium.
1020 GMT: Our sharp-eyed, sharp-minded readers have been discussing a number of stories about Iran's difficult economic situation and the impact it might have upon the regime. This item stood out: "1700 employees of Wagon Pars Company in Arak have gone on a hunger strike to protest the company’s failure to pay their wages and pension....This is the ninth protest organized by the employees this year." Wagon Pars, which was recently privatised, is one of Iran's largest manufacturers of railway vehicles.
1000 GMT: The reaction to the Behnoud Shojai execution (see 0630 GMT) continues to dominate Interenet discussion. A reader alerts to a moving statement on the case, and Rosemary Church of CNN has picked up via Twitter on the developments (though there is still no reference on CNN's website).
0630 GMT: Little political movement so far today. Iranian state media is reinforcing the image of Government by highlighting the attendance of President Ahmadinejad at a conference on...Iranian state media. The Islamic Republic News Agency reports that the discussions of media operations included more than 800 experts from 21 Government agencies and units, with the Head of Cultural Commission of Parliament and the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance also present.
One of those media operations is in Fars News. The newspaper features an Isfahan University professor declaring that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to recipients such as Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi and President Obama is a "green light" for the Green movement of post-election protest.
Meanwhile, after a day of tension and confusion over the death sentences handed down to three post-election detainees, activists have been occupied overnight with the execution of Behnoud Shojai. Shojai, whose case precedes the election, was 17 when convicted in 2005 of murder in a fight; the execution, which had been delayed four times, was carried out despite Shojai's claim of self-defence.
NEW Iran: The Washington-Tehran Deal on Enriched Uranium?
NEW Iran: So Who Controls the Islamic Republic?
The Latest from Iran (10 October): Karroubi is Back
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
1900 GMT: Former President Khatami has followed up his speech in Yazd Province (1445 GMT) with a strong challenge to the regime on his website: “Be sure that people will never back down. Today, we are living in a world in which no dictator could be imposed on people to force them to be absolute obedient to him. An acceptable government is a government born out of people.” An English summary is in the Los Angeles Times.)1845 GMT: We've posted the full English-language summary of the Mousavi-Karroubi meeting in a separate entry.
1630 GMT: EA's Mr Smith checks in with a snap analysis of the Mousavi-Karroubi meeting (1430 GMT):
General mood appears to be to be firmness on opposition to government, but strictly within the parameters of the nezam (political system)....They both asked for airtime on national television to air their version of the post-election events. All in all, I think they are attempting to settle in for a more long-term strategy of opposition, one that implicitly relies on sporadic street protests, coinciding with the main "mobilisation" events of the regime. They will keep well within the boundaries of the political system to progressively claw away at Ahmadinejad's power.
I personally think they reached this conclusion after running out of other options, and frankly it is not quite clear whether it holds at all as a long-term strategy.
1445 GMT: Former President Mohammad Khatami has spoken with an audience in Yazd Province. Criticising violent and brutal acts against reformists and protestors, he warned the Government that, if they do not let critics express their opinions, then the movement will move toward radicalism. (English summary on Facebook page connected with Zahra Rahnavard)
1430 GMT: Green Talks. Tagheer, the website connected with Mehdi Karroubi, has a lengthy article on a meeting between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi yesterday.
1420 GMT: An Iranian activist is reporting a fourth post-election detainee has been sentenced to death. Hamed Rouhinejad, like Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Pour-Rahmani, is accused of belonging to a monarchist organisation carrying out crimes against the state.
1050 GMT: Fereshteh Ghazi is reporting the sentences handed out to 16 post-election protesters (according to state media, 18 were convicted in September and are now appealing the verdicts): "Alireza Eshraghi 5 years, Mohsen Jafari 4 years, Mehrdad Varshoie 3 years, Yaghoutil Shanoulian 2 years 6 months, Faramarz Abdollah Nezhad 2 years 4 months, Amir Hojjati 2 years 3 months, Mousa Shah Karami 2 years 3 months, Kamran Jahanbani 2 years, Hossein Bastani 2 years, Hossein Ezami 2 years, Mehdi Fatah Bakhsh 1 year 9 months, Majid Moghimi 1 year, Mohammad Farahani 10 months, Mohammad Rasouli 10 months, Meysam Ghorbani 6 months and 74 lashes, Reza Imanpour 6 months".
1030 GMT: Really? Someone needs to show Secretary of State Hillary Clinton our analysis of the story from The Washington Post. As the Obama Administration pursues a private deal with Tehran over uranium enrichment, she is blowing the public smoke of threat, telling reporters in London, the world "will not wait indefinitely" for Iran to meet international obligations.
1025 GMT: We've posted two important items this morning. Jerry Guo of Foreign Affairs, echoing analyses that our readers have discussed for weeks, considers the "control" of the Iranian Government by "the Revolutionary Guard and its allies". Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post, fed the information by Obama Administration officials, reveals the developing US-Iran deal for enrichment of Tehran's uranium.
1020 GMT: Our sharp-eyed, sharp-minded readers have been discussing a number of stories about Iran's difficult economic situation and the impact it might have upon the regime. This item stood out: "1700 employees of Wagon Pars Company in Arak have gone on a hunger strike to protest the company’s failure to pay their wages and pension....This is the ninth protest organized by the employees this year." Wagon Pars, which was recently privatised, is one of Iran's largest manufacturers of railway vehicles.
1000 GMT: The reaction to the Behnoud Shojai execution (see 0630 GMT) continues to dominate Interenet discussion. A reader alerts to a moving statement on the case, and Rosemary Church of CNN has picked up via Twitter on the developments (though there is still no reference on CNN's website).
0630 GMT: Little political movement so far today. Iranian state media is reinforcing the image of Government by highlighting the attendance of President Ahmadinejad at a conference on...Iranian state media. The Islamic Republic News Agency reports that the discussions of media operations included more than 800 experts from 21 Government agencies and units, with the Head of Cultural Commission of Parliament and the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance also present.
One of those media operations is in Fars News. The newspaper features an Isfahan University professor declaring that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to recipients such as Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi and President Obama is a "green light" for the Green movement of post-election protest.
Meanwhile, after a day of tension and confusion over the death sentences handed down to three post-election detainees, activists have been occupied overnight with the execution of Behnoud Shojai. Shojai, whose case precedes the election, was 17 when convicted in 2005 of murder in a fight; the execution, which had been delayed four times, was carried out despite Shojai's claim of self-defence.
tagged Alireza Eshraghi, Amir Hojjati, Barack Obama, Behnoud Shojai, CNN, Faramarz Abdollah Nezhad, Fars News Agency, Fereshteh Ghazi, Hossein Bastani, Hossein Ezami, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Republic News Agency, Kamran Jahanbani, Los Angeles Times, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Majid Moghimi, Mehdi Fatah Bakhsh, Mehrdad Varshoie, Meysam Ghorbani, Mohammad Farahani, Mohammad Khatami, Mohammad Rasouli, Mohsen Jafari, Mousa Shah Karami, Reza Imanpour, Rosemary Church, Shirin Ebadi, Wagon Pars Company, Yaghoutil Shanoulian in Middle East & Iran
Alireza Eshraghi, Amir Hojjati, Barack Obama, Behnoud Shojai, CNN, Faramarz Abdollah Nezhad, Fars News Agency, Fereshteh Ghazi, Hossein Bastani, Hossein Ezami, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Islamic Republic News Agency, Kamran Jahanbani, Los Angeles Times, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Majid Moghimi, Mehdi Fatah Bakhsh, Mehrdad Varshoie, Meysam Ghorbani, Mohammad Farahani, Mohammad Khatami, Mohammad Rasouli, Mohsen Jafari, Mousa Shah Karami, Reza Imanpour, Rosemary Church, Shirin Ebadi, Wagon Pars Company, Yaghoutil Shanoulian in Middle East & Iran
Reader Comments (8)
0630 GMT: Pardon me, that should read: a conference on "Pasdar's Media".
Have a look also at these fine ads for boycotted Iranian products, promoted on the detested Pasdar State TV (seda va sima)
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=7679
RE 10:30 It's been my impression since Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State that this would be the designated division of labour between them. Whereas President Obama would be the one to extend his hand and send Nowruz messages and talk about mutual respect and even toss Asalaam Alaykum about, she would be the administration's 'hard-liner' so to speak. This "we/the world will not wait indefinitely live up to its international obligations regarding its nuclear program" message has been the standard line regarding engagement with Iran coming from the Obama adminiistration since the spring, but it's been up to Clinton to repeat it most often. I can't imagine she wouldn't have been in the loop regarding the "..deal, brokered largely by the United States, that aims to buy time for a diplomatic solution to the impasse over Iran’s nuclear ambitions." Didn't she say just a few days ago in that CNN interview together with Secretary Gates that these negotiations were indeed " buying time"? I think she's just out there playing to the "Sanctions+" gallery, while Obama tempers his messages to that same audience with gestures to the "Diplomacy+" crowd.
Yseut, Arshama & Janette
Thanks for yesterday's posts on the unemployment & economy. I was wondering whether strikes & working without wages was common.
How can people work so long without wages? Why don't they walk away & stay home? Is it an effort to still keep the job in hopes that the economy will turn around? Here in the US, companies that hit hard economic times just fire employees. Sometimes people will work for a while at lower wages,, but if things don't get better they get laid off by the company. There are several reasons but mainly the companies don't want to buy resources to make products that the public isn't buying. They wouldn't want to owe back wages. If things are really bad, they don't want to rent, heat & clean facilities that don't earn money. Also, there are benefits that may not be available in Iran. Even if companies stopped paying wages, they'd have to pay into the Social Security retirement system for each employee. Many companies offer health insurance which they can't continue paying if they aren't making a profit.
Janette mentioned a LNG project. What is LNG & what kind of project might it be?
I hope , all these financial problems in iranian’s companies are not a stategie of AN and his allies so that the IRGC could buy them for a song !! ( pour une bouchée de pain ), an artificial problem to reach their target and pay a low price
@Amy
People have been working in these conditions for years, it's not really new that people are going for long periods without pay, but usually they do not sustain strikes, so there is good news. Don't compare it to any company in the west though, its not the same, people continue to work because there is a stigma associated with just quiting, it's just the way things are there and people don't know any different. The hardest bit about interpreting anything from Iran for a westerner is to not see things through western eyes. Oh and there is no social security in Iran (unless your thinking of Ahmadinejad's potatoes) or anything else like that.. If you are poor, you beg, sell gum on the street etc, you have to fend for yourself.
LNG is Liquefied Natural Gas, Iran has the 2nd largest gas reserves in the world. Basically gas is liquefied to make it easier for transport, distribution etc. This project is a long term project to construct a LNG plant in the gas field. The South Pars gas field is being jointly developed by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian share of the field is about 14 trillion cubic meters of gas, or about eight percent of the total world reserves, and more than 18 billion barrels of liquefied natural gas resources.
The aim is to target 60 million metric tons of overseas oil and gas production by 2025, almost double the country's output in the year ending on March 31, in a bid to offset declining production at its ageing domestic wells.
Currently they have run out of money, contracts have fallen apart as they did not go through proper legal tender and 6 000 people are out of work.
Thanks Janette
Since I don't know much about Iranian business practices, it seemed like a good jumping-off point to compare with the US.
How do people live when they aren't being paid? What do they use for money? It sounds like a set-up-- if it's a stigma to stop working when the company stops paying wages, what (if anything) prevents companies from taking advantage of workers? What incentives do companies have to pay regularly? If someone works for 6 months without pay, will that person eventually get 6 months of back-pay?
Thanks for your detailed information.
@Amy
Don't forget that most of Iran is very poor. Even in Tehran, everywhere many are so poor they don't have proper houses, sleep with a whole family in a room and I remember kids that had to share a pair of shoes - one day they get to wear shoes the next their sibling - all year round including the snowy cold winter. They didn't have proper winter clothes. They would sell gum at street corners to buy rice for the family (a bit like people that wash your car windows at the lights - except they would get about 1c per gum.. imagine how much you have to sell for some bread!! & if they didn't sell enough they wouldn't eat)
I remember their mum telling me, sometimes when the kids complained that they were hungry for dinner & she didn't have anything for them, she would tell them that she was making soup, and put water on the stove to boil, so when they ask again she would say it was still cooking.. until they fell asleep. But these people are so nice and moral, if you dropped $10 next to them they would pick it up and chase you down the street to give it back.
They have a different kind of thinking, stigma was probably the wrong word, but its just not something they would do- leave a job. Unless they are fired. They manage however they can, rely on family and friends, barter or do other work for food. They don't know its an option to quit and find a new job and in most cases it isn't an option as there are no other jobs. Also don't forget that this is a country that you tend to have the 1 job your whole life! There aren't any ads in the paper for employment( I am serious- no ads for employment anywhere!), your father(family) is meant to get you a job.
Your right companies do not have any incentives to pay someone regularly (except perhaps the law - but we all know how well thats followed in the IRI). From what I know they usually do get at least some of their back pay eventually but often without overtime etc. but I'm sure thats different from company to company.
I know it can be hard to get your head around because it is so different from anything anyone in the west has experience. I am Iranian by marriage and even though I have seen it for myself, it can be hard for me to understand too. I hope this helps you understand a little more why someone would work for nothing.
It helps but I'm stuck with a Western mind and can only think that I'd be really angry-- mad all the time. My Western response would be to walk off the job, or if it was impossible, then to sabotage my work. I'm glad people are striking. It's far more constructive than what my immediate reaction would be.
I hope enough people can band together to make the strikes effective. Is there govt interference in the strikes? (Not unknown in the US, but not physical nowadays). It would be great if strikes begin to happen across the country, like in the revolution. Do people blame the company owners or the govt, or both?
There's nothing that could break parents' hearts any more than putting their children to bed hungry. I'm in Appalachia and the part about the children's shoes reminds me of how it was here in my parent's generation in the Great Depression.
What a country of contrasts to have so many highly educated people and technological development in the midst of such poverty. Several commenters here have talked about a car costing 3 years salary, with no financing. What you just said takes it to a whole different level.